Tall buildings and barren plazas in 1986

"In 1986, CIVITAS initiated a study, No More Tall Stories, which makes the case for lower buildings, with the same heights as their neighbours, and elimination of plazas along Upper East Side avenues. Paul Newman narrates the video illustrating the issue. For more information about this and other CIVITAS initiatives, visit our website: www.civitasnyc.org"

Density, short blocks, address the street, social gathering places, and biophilic design

"American cities are pretty much made for cars, which means they're not very easy for humans to navigate. And when you consider that cities are supposed to be made for humans to live in -- and that by 2050, two-thirds of the global population will live in cities, which already account for 70 percent of the planet's carbon emissions -- that's a bit of a problem."

"We talked to Dan Burden, walkability expert, on what factors are most important to transform our cities into places that are easier and more fun to live in, and less impactful on the ol' climate at the same time."

Future planning

"Cities are resurgent. Increasingly they’re where new jobs, economic growth, and people are all thriving. From Miami to Munich and São Paulo to Shanghai, the world’s cities are multiplying in number and growing in size."



"Already, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By midcentury, that share will grow to two-thirds, the U.N. predicts. This urbanization comes at a cost, though. Infrastructure is strained. Cars are multiplying but roads are not, so congestion is worsening. And the supply of vital resources — energy, clean air and fresh water — is imperiled."
from: https://nyti.ms/2jW2b8W

Oops!

"The Millennium Tower is still sinking, and residents might be stuck paying for the fixes themselves."

from:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-01/who-will-pay-for-san-francisco-s-tilting-sinking-millennium-tower

The next Baby Boom?

"What this all means is that over the next decade or so, we are potentially looking at a baby boom creating a significantly large number of households with children that strongly desire to (continue to) live and work in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods and that are also open to creative living arrangements to make life affordable. What these urban, child-bearing millennials want is the “complete package.” They want neighborhoods that are not only walkable and mixed-use, but now also safe for kids with good schools, good parks, good childcare options, a good community, and … they want it all for a good price (i.e. they want housing options that they can afford)."



from: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/01/23/affordability-millennials-and-next-baby-boom

Bike & visibility at night

"As part of an ongoing commitment to safer cycling in New York, the Citi Bike program is installing an innovative new safety feature -- the Blaze Laserlight on 250 bikes in early 2017."

Citi Bike + Blaze from Citi Bike on Vimeo.

Build community through urban design

"Ten reasons to build community through urban design - Mixed-use neighborhoods and great public spaces, on the other hand, bring citizens together in real communities. Here are the ten best reasons to design and build places that support community:

1) For freedom and choice in mobility
2) To support social interaction
3) For great public places
4) For healthy lifestyle opportunities
5) To reduce cost of living
6) To protect the environment
7) For long-lasting value and to build the tax base
8) To reduce infrastructure expenses
9) To reduce traffic deaths
10) To make your community unique
Bonus reason: Because it is the source of civilization.

from: https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2017/01/17/ten-reasons-build-community-through-urban-design